You’re watching a video online, when this warning appears.
YOUR VIDEO WILL RESUME AFTER THIS AD
At this point, most people bail out and never finish the clip.
There’s a special place in hell for those who force us to watch un-skippable ads. They stop our video to hijack our eyeballs with gibberish about door-buster sales. At best, it’s video junk mail. At worst, mid-roll ads are the most intrusive, despicable form of advertising. They create bad will and violate every etiquette of marketing.
Sure, you can snag our attention for a few seconds. But at what cost? After tricking us into watching your ad, you expect people to buy your product?
Clearly someone missed the memo about permission marketing.
We’ve learned that building a loyal following is the result of engaging consumers. Entice us with shareable content. Be a trusted peer to help us decide and solve problems. Earn a reputation and great reviews. Then, we’ll help to spread your buzz.
Or, you can continue to cram your message down our throats…and pay the price.
Here’s my take:
When advertisers slam us with un-skippable ads, they hold us captive. We’ve reached the breaking point of vile intrusions – and it’s time to say ‘enough’. We’re mad as hell and not gonna take mid-roll spots anymore. Let’s show companies that the door swings both ways. Either allow users to stop, skip, or delete ads – or we vow to never do business with them. Share that promise on social media eand encourage friends to join you.
Here’s some hope. AdBlock Radio detects commercials on radio streams and podcasts. Using speech recognition and machine learning, those ads are wiped clean.
Can a video blocker be far behind?
